Shorter prison term for attack on pizza man

A violent Great Hollands man who assaulted a pizza delivery boy has had his appeal over his jail sentence upheld.

Keith Shadbolt, of Wordsworth, attacked the takeaway worker because he thought his bill was £21.50 instead of £21.98 - a 48p difference.

Magistrates had given the 26-year-old the maximum sentence of six months at a hearing on December 19 but this was reduced by seven weeks by Judge Nicholas John during an appeal at Reading Crown Court on Friday.

Shadbolt had ordered from an out-of-date menu and thought he owed £21.50, not £21.98, Reading Crown Court heard on Friday.

The 20-year-old victim, who worked for It’s Pizza Time in Yateley, had a cut on his left cheek and a cut mouth that required hospital treatment.

Michael Weeks, defending, said: “Miss Thomas, his partner, is due to have their baby in February and he has three other children under five.

“I have a letter from Miss Thomas saying how much they are missing their dad, especially the eldest child.

“He is also going to miss out on crucial bonding with the new baby.

"The injuries in this case were relatively minor, although there is no excuse for it and he understands that.”

His reduced sentence will be tagged on the end of a two-year sentence he received on December 12 for actual bodily harm to a boy of 16.

Ravi Sidhu, prosecuting, said: “You may feel it is understandable that part of the shock of the victim was the realisation that he was just doing his job and had been set upon for doing just that.

“Afterwards he did reconsider whether this type of employment was suitable for him.”

Shadbolt has 26 previous convictions including assaulting a police officer last May and drug offences.

Judge Nicholas John said: “We think the magistrates were right to make this sentence consecutive to the two years.

"But 26 weeks was the maximum sentence and must be reserved for the very worst offences.”